Nanaimo bird report, December 09, 2018

The Backyard Wildbird and Nature Store Weekly Bird Report Nanaimo Bird Report, December 09, 2018. BIRD REPORT“EXPLORE NATURE”---GO BIRDING: To report your sightings phone the Store at 250-390-3669 or e-mail us at thebackyard@shaw.ca. Please remember, when reporting a sighting to leave your name and phone number along with the date the species was seen and location of your sighting. Please Note Please check this site (www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com) early Tuesday and Sunday mornings to see if the walks have been cancelled! ********************************************************************************Sunday Bird Walk, December 09, 2018 The Sunday bird walk, December 09, 2018 to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo has been cancelled due to the weather!

************************************************************************************* Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk, December 04, 2018 The Tuesday bird walk went to the Little Qualicum River Estuary. The morning was clear with calm winds on the Strait of Georgia. This bird walk turned out to be a whale of a walk as we were entertained for most of the morning with the sight of the whales breaching and blowing. There where were at least five Humpback Whales. Many Green-wing Teal, Red-breasted Mergansers, Common Mergansers, Red-necked Grebes, Horned Grebes, Brandt’s Cormorants, Pelagic Cormorants, Double-crested Cormorants, Pacific and  Pacific Loons were on the Strait. Over two hundred Trumpeter Swans, six Snow Geese, a large flock of Canada Geese and one Cackling Geese were seen at the mouth of the Little Qualicum River. Three Lone-billed Dowitchers, a flock of Killdeer and many Black Turnstone were seen on the estuary. A large flock of Western Grebe were seen near the far horizon at the end of the walk. Trumpeter Swans: Ralph Hocken Photo: Twenty-one birders including a visiting birder from California saw and heard the following fifty-five species: Trumpeter Swans Canada Geese Cackling Geese Snow Geese Mallard Harlequin Duck American Widgeon Northern Pintail Long-tail Duck Surf Scoter White-wing Scoter Black Scoter Bufflehead Barrow’s Goldeneye Common Goldeneye Northern Pintail Green-wing Teal Red-breasted Merganser Common Merganser Hooded Merganser Western Grebe Red-necked Grebe Horned Grebe Brandt’s Cormorant Pelagic Cormorant Double-crested Cormorant Pacific Loon Common Loon Great Blue Heron Bonaparte’s Gull Mew Gull Iceland Gull California Gull Glaucous-winged Gull Bald Eagle Lone-billed Dowitcher Killdeer Black Turnstone Northern Flicker Downy Woodpecker Northwestern Crow Common Raven California Quail Eurasian-collared Dove American Robin Bushtit Chestnut-backed Chickadee Anna’s Hummingbird Spotted Towhee Song Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco House Finch Purple Finch Wednesday, December 02: A Harris Sparrow, six Western Meadowlarks and a Northern Harrier were seen at the Nanaimo River Estuary in south Nanaimo.  The Nanaimo Christmas Bird Count (CBC) will be held on, Saturday December 29th, 2018. For more information: Please contact Tanya Seebacher tanyaseebacher@gmail.com 250-739-9070              Upcoming Bird Walks The Tuesday Bird Walk on December 11, 2018 will be going to Columbia Beach in French Creek. Meet at the Parksville Community Park (near the Lions Club playground parking lot) in Parksville at 9:00 am, or at the parking area along Admiral Tryon Bld. off Columbia Drive at French Creek at about 9:15 am.                                                                  The Sunday Bird Walk on December 16, 2018 will be going to Neck Point Park in Nanaimo.  Meet at the Backyard Wildbird & Nature Store, 6314 Metral Drive at 9:00 am or at the parking lot at Neck Point Park off Hammond Road at about 9:15 am. Good birding Neil Robins THE BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE 6314 Metral Drive Nanaimo, B.C. V9T-2L8 Phone: 250-390-3669 Email: thebackyard@shaw.ca www.thebirdstore.blogspot.com